


Leaving the Burrow Behind

by elsie_noir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Miraculous Side Effects, Nathalie Sancoeur Does Not Get Paid Enough, Not Beta Read, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Rabbit Alix Kubdel | Bunnyx, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27581633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsie_noir/pseuds/elsie_noir
Summary: In Bunnyx's burrow, there are portals to an infinite number of pasts and futures.  Yet, if you spend your life chasing what-ifs, you risk missing out on the life you've been given.  Can Adrien and Marinette learn to appreciate the life they have?A story of what-ifs, consequences, and revelations…"Even if life doesn't always give us the gifts we were hoping for, the real gift is life itself."
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 13
Kudos: 15





	1. Glimpses through the Burrow

Adrien was having a rough day. Not that many of his days were pleasant, but this one was especially troublesome. First, he’d had to meet with the board at  _ Gabriel _ to try to explain why the spring line he was tasked with overseeing had failed to meet sales expectations. How could he explain that Gabriel himself was to blame for the lackluster performance? The designs approved by the CEO were … dated, not fresh or compelling in any way, really. Was it any wonder no one was going out of their way to purchase designer clothes that would have been more at home on a runway five years ago? 

The meeting had gone so poorly, and as a result of its length, he’d missed his classes at École Polytechnique. Not that Adrien was particularly fond of his courses or really his whole degree plan. They’d been chosen by Gabriel, of course, preparing him for his future position as CEO of  _ Gabriel _ when his father chose to retire. Who was he kidding, anyway? Gabriel would never retire. He would just leave Adrien to rot in a inconsequential role at the design house, toiling away at a job that was completely meaningless. 

However, Adrien did want to maintain his 4.0 grade point average, so he was currently waiting to meet with one of his professors to beg to be allowed to turn in his work, even though it was now late. Waiting to grovel was not sitting well in his empty stomach. Even more so since he’d had to cancel his lunch meeting with Marinette, his longtime very good friend and coworker. 

“Plagg,” Adrien growled, “this is all your fault, you know. You and your bad luck.” As soon as the words escaped his lips, he regretted them. “I’m sorry, Plagg,” Adrien sighed, “I shouldn’t blame you for my own failures. I’m just so done with this day already, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Plagg let out an indignant huff. “Kid, he said, you should really talk to a therapist about anger management.” 

Adrien knew Plagg was right, and it just made him feel worse. Maybe, he thought briefly, he could find a therapist who would listen. But, Adrien would have to hide half of his life from them. How could anyone really understand him without knowing about Chat Noir? But he couldn’t risk exposing his identity, even if there was supposed to be doctor-patient confidentiality. The thought made Adrien even more tense, and he balled his hands into tighter fists as the door to the professor’s office creaked open. 

_________________________

When Adrien returned to the mansion that evening, he was exhausted and still in a terrible mood. All he wanted to do was shower and go to bed, hopefully to start tomorrow on a better note. But, of course, given the day he’d had, this was not going to be an option. Nathalie met him as he came in the door. “Your father requires your presence in the atelier,” she said cooly without making eye contact.

Sigh.

Adrien entered the atelier and stood before his father, waiting to be addressed. Gabriel always took some time before acknowledging him, flexing his power and attempting to ratchet up his son’s insecurity. Eventually Adrien couldn’t take the silence anymore. “You called for me, Father?”

Gabriel slowly turned to face his son, pinching the bridge of his nose and revealing a rather displeased expression, though not many could tell the difference between this and his usual countenance. “Yes, Adrien,” he replied, “ I could not be more disappointed in your performance at the board meeting this morning. You are an Agreste. You will represent my name with competence or you will not carry it at all. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Father. If that is all, may I be excused?”

Gabriel turned back to his work as he addressed his son. “No. You will stand there until you can justify your utter lack of talent. You have been given a position you clearly do not deserve. It would behoove you to consider how many people would literally kill to take it from you. How can you fail even to explain your incompetence?”

It wasn’t the worst thing that Adrien had heard from his father, and he had learned to conceal his immediate reactions and feelings of rejection many years ago. Now, the pain just intensified the simmering rage hidden precariously close to the surface. Especially after such a taxing day, it was increasingly difficult to keep his anger in check. So, he balled his fists tightly and stood, composing what his father would consider an appropriate response. But after several agonizing minutes of squeezing and releasing the tension in his fists, carefully trying to come up with an explanation that would appease his father and not reveal his utter disdain in this moment, Gabriel looked over his glasses at his son, and spoke with condescension dripping from his voice. 

“Get. Out. Of. My. Sight. And, do not return until you have remembered how to be an Agreste.”

__________________________

Adrien was lying in his bed, feeling too exhausted to sleep, and brooding about the lack of choice in his life. Degree, career, living arrangements, love life. Every aspect of his life, down to the clothes that he wore and the soap that he used were chosen by someone else. 

“Come on,” Plagg encouraged, “let’s go for a run.” 

At the suggestion and without hesitation, Adrien called, “Plagg, claws out!” 

Just the feeling of the magic rushing over his body was enough to ease the tension he hadn’t noticed in all of his muscles, to relax the tight furrow of his brow, and to remind him of what had sustained him through all of these years since his mother disappeared.

He leapt with a shout from his window and was off, running over the rooftops of Paris. 

Chat didn’t expect to see Ladybug; it wasn’t patrol night, after all. So, he was surprised to see a flash of red in his peripheral vision as he made his way toward the tour Eiffel. 

“M’lady,” Chat called with a bow and a flourish, “fancy meeting you here.” 

“Race you to the top,” she taunted, laughing as she threw her yoyo out to reach the first platform. 

Dieu, he loved the sound of her laughter, he thought, as he tried in vain to overtake her head start. When they met at the uppermost beams, their embrace was warm and comforting for both. University and navigating the transition to adult life, on top of shared guardianship, had taken its toll on both. At least they had each other. Chat knew he could lean on his Lady when his life left him feeling trapped and useless, and Ladybug knew her partner would ease her anxiety when responsibilities seemed overwhelming. Their partnership had grown deeper over the years of shared duty to protect Parisians from Hawkmoth. They were as close as two friends could be, at least, as close as they could be without knowing each other’s civilian identity. 

They had seriously considered revealing themselves, but after her experience with Chat Blanc, Ladybug couldn’t bring herself to put her cherished partner in more danger. And, as always, Chat had followed her lead. He didn’t understand fully, but he trusted Ladybug with his whole being.

“Rough day, Chat?” Ladybug asked, as they separated following la bise to sit on a beam together. 

“You could say that,” he sighed, “but, meeting you here is always a highlight. Although, you must have had a trying day as well since you were out tonight,” Chat commented as he turned to her with a soft smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. Not really,” she replied, gazing out at the city of lights. “It’s work and uni, you know.”

“That I do, m’lady. Sometimes I wonder why my father insists on this degree. I mean, I’m just going to have to work in the family business, anyway. If I ever did get the chance to choose my own path, this degree would be essentially worthless, and I’d probably need to leave Paris... and I obviously can’t do that, so…”

“Chat,” Ladybug interrupted, “you know I support your dreams. If you need to leave Paris, our miraculous team would be sufficient to protect Paris.” She cringed internally as she spoke. She didn’t want Chat to think she didn’t need him. God knows she needed him. But, his happiness was what was most important. She wouldn’t hold him back, even if it meant sacrificing her own support system.

“I know, bugaboo. And, thank you for always rooting for me, but I could never leave you to handle the guardianship on your own, even if the team could suffice in battle.”

“When we defeat Hawkmoth…” Ladybug began, but couldn’t find the words to finish her thought as her throat tightened. 

Was it a when or an if? It had been so long since they’d begun fighting him; it was becoming difficult to hold on to optimism about his eventual defeat. Likewise, Chat wasn’t able to finish the thought as the pair sat in silence high above their beautiful city. 

She laid her head on his shoulder. His presence was a deep well of comfort, and as she shook the heavy load from her mind, she wanted to tell Chat how much he meant to her. “Thank you, kitty.” she said quietly. She hoped her ‘I love you’ came through in her earnestness.

“You’re most welcome, m’lady,” Chat answered as his ‘I love you’ remained unspoken as well.

__________________________

Gabriel was growing tired. He took off his glasses and rubbed his face with his hands, as he summoned Nathalie to his atelier. Glancing at the clock as she entered, he said, “Did I not tell you to have Adrien report directly to me upon his return home?”

“Sir?” she questioned as a coughing spell hit, and made her feel weak and disoriented. 

Gabriel jumped up from his seat at his desk and rushed to catch her before she fell. “You haven’t been using the peafowl miraculous again, have you?” 

“No.” Nathalie reminded him, “we agreed that it was too dangerous to continue.” 

“I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because you wanted to help me.”

“I would do anything for you,” Nathalie promised as she closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his strong arms holding her steady. She wasn’t going to let her worries for  _ his _ health ruin this moment for her. She would consult the grimoire again tomorrow. There must be an answer she hoped with all of her heart.


	2. Portal of Devotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunnyx looked into a portal in her burrow and sighed, is this what Gabriel’s life would be if he had never begun using the butterfly miraculous to become Hawkmoth? She closed her eyes tightly and turned away from the vision of Gabriel, Nathalie, and Adrien together as a happy family. The burden of knowing was heavy on her shoulders. 
> 
> “Perpetual devotion to what a man calls his business, is only to be sustained by perpetual neglect of many other things.”  
> ― Robert Louis Stevenson

Nathalie woke up early the next morning when it was still dark and ordered black coffee from the kitchen on her way to the atelier. Gabriel is probably already up, she thought as she walked the long, cold corridors of the mansion from her room. She had already decided to give him the same story as last time, that she needed access to the grimoire translations to find a way to fully repair the peafowl miraculous. 

They had thought that it was fixed when they were able to reverse the damage to the pin itself with a spell from the grimoire, but as soon as Nathalie began using it again as Mayura, all of the symptoms she had experienced from its use in its broken state returned with a vengeance. She knew at this point that there was not a simple solution for this unfortunate outcome. But, she owed it to Gabriel to keep looking for a cure, one that she desperately wanted as well. So, it was a logical explanation. 

Nevertheless, there was a more pressing issue now. It had become increasingly clear to Nathalie that something was affecting Gabriel’s memory and emotional stability. I have to protect him, she thought. She knew Gabriel would not agree to go to a doctor because he wasn’t willing to admit that he even had a problem. “You will not speak to me in this way again,” Gabriel had snapped at her tersely, ending the first and only conversation, if you could call it that, about her concerns. It was for the best that he tended to work from home, she thought. But that wouldn’t always be possible, especially with Milan fashion week coming soon.

As she opened one of the large heavy doors to the atelier, Nathalie was surprised to see that Gabriel was not at his desk. It would be easier this way, she thought, to get the tablet with the translations from the safe without a confrontation. Gabriel had been on edge so much more than usual lately; he had berated both herself and Adrien with unsettling frequency. He doesn’t mean what he says, though, she thought. He loves me in his own way, and it’s this not-a-problem he seems to be having that was making him act out of line, not his true feelings. 

With a sigh, she quietly shut the door behind herself and walked to the portrait of Emilie Agreste hanging at one end of the room. Inhaling a deep breath, she moved the large painting on its hinges to reveal the safe containing her miraculous and the tablet she needed. Punching in the combination with the muscle memory of her fingers, she quickly unlocked and opened the safe, grabbed the tablet, and rushed to close the safe and hide it behind the painting once more. She had an explanation for her presence at the ready, but she knew Gabriel would be displeased to put it mildly if he found her in the atelier alone, and his look of disapproval could stop her heart cold. 

She quickly exited the studio and made her way to her mansion office just off of the grand entryway. As she sat back in her desk chair, Nathalie saw the coffee she had ordered, and took a long invigorating sip before beginning her work. In her investigation of the problems with the peafowl miraculous, she had come to understand that it wasn’t the crack in the pendant causing the side-effects, the cough, fatigue, and syncope. Rather, the miraculous was slowly eating away at her ability to remain conscious. 

The grimoire had revealed that the kwamis could exert a type of magic over any miraculous user that they considered to have abused the instrument of the gods. The goal of this power was to prevent misuse of a miraculous by rendering wielders permanently unconscious. But in a transformed state, the kwamis’ level of autonomy was reduced, so it generally took a long time and a pattern of misuse for symptoms to take hold. 

So, when she considered Gabriel’s symptoms, though different from her own, Nathalie thought it was at least a possibility that he was suffering under the actions of his kwami trying to drive him into unconsciousness, too. Of course, in its broken state, the effects from the actions of the peafowl kwami, Dusuu, could have been greatly accelerated, she hypothesized. So it made sense that she would have been affected first. On the other hand, Gabriel was strong; he had most likely had been fighting Nooroo the whole time he had been Hawkmoth. 

Natalie considered this morosely; at least Dusuu and Nooroo won’t kill us. However, it  _ would _ eventually put them in the same state of suspended animation as Emilie if Nathalie and Gabriel continued to become Mayura and Hawkmoth. This was truly a disappointment. Nathalie hadn’t been able to find anything to counteract the actions of kwamis if they sensed abuse. What really constitutes abuse? she thought, as she let escape a sardonic laugh. 

Maybe the kwamis themselves could reverse the damage if she and Gabriel could apply enough pressure, and if not, perhaps she could find a way to shield him from the worst of the kwami’s attacks. Nathalie hoped when she explained this theory to Gabriel, that is if she could get him to accept that there was a problem, he could find a way to convince Nooroo that it wasn’t abuse or threaten him into stopping his assault. 

So, as she went over all of the notes she had about the butterfly miraculous and its kwami, Nooroo, she attempted to develop the strongest possible argument that Gabriel’s symptoms were being caused by the actions of his kwami. Maybe she thought, as she noticed the man enter his atelier, Gabriel would listen this time. After all, it wasn’t a personal deficiency; he was under attack by a magical god. She could hope, she thought, as she gazed wistfully out of her office window toward where he stood moments ago. 

_______________________

Marinette woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring through the silence. She had learned that having a second alarm on her sewing table helped her to actually get up on time because she had to climb down from her loft to turn it off. This had mostly solved her perpetual lateness, and it was a good thing now that she was an intern at  _ Gabriel,  _ completing her third year of studies at ESMOD _.  _ It wouldn’t do for an adult to be late for work everyday, especially not at  _ Gabriel _ , where everyone knew even the slightest misstep was grounds for immediate termination. 

So, as exhausted as she was every morning, she was able to peel herself off her comfy bed, and cheerfully ready herself for long days at the fashion house. Becoming a designer had been her dream since she was a little girl, and she was so lucky to have parents who supported and believed in her as she strove toward the lifetime goal. 

Marinette finished pulling together a professional but edgy ensemble and swept on light makeup to complement the look. She styled her hair in a braid to keep it out of her way, and made her way downstairs to grab a coffee and croissant on her way out the door. Marinette stopped to kiss her maman, Sabine, and her papa, Tom, before sprinting toward the métro station to catch a train to work.

As Marinette walked into  _ Gabriel _ headquarters five whole minutes early, she was delighted to run into her longtime friend, Adrien, as they waited for the same elevator.

“I’m sorry I had to bail on you with lunch yesterday,” Adrien apologized. Marinette teased in response, “I should have known you were becoming too much of a big shot now to mingle with the little people.” 

“Oh, Mari…” stop it, “you  _ are _ little, but you know you will always be important to me. I just had a really terrible day yesterday and…”

Marinette interrupted as it seemed Adrien might spiral into negative thoughts, “And you know that I was joking. But, seriously, do you want to catch some dinner tonight after work and talk about it?”

“I’d love dinner,” he said as the elevator doors opened at Marinette’s floor.

“This is me,” she called back to him, “text me.”

As Marinette walked through the hallway on her way to the design floor she could hear a cacophonous noise coming from the workspace. As she turned the corner to approach her cutting table, she could make out Authur and Mathis yelling at each other as were Camille and Mathilde. Most of the other interns were trying to hide in their work while watching the design director and lead take on the creative director and lead. When Marinette reached the table, she saw her fellow intern, Celia, crying quietly in their shared workspace. “Celia,” Marinette, whispered, “what is going on here?” 

“Oh, Mari...” she sobbed in reply, “this is it. We’re going to lose our internships. What are we going to do?”

“Shh, take a deep breath,” Marinette soothed as she moved closer to her friend, “now I  _ need _ you to tell me what is going on. We haven’t been let go yet; maybe we can still work the problem.”

Celia complied with a heavy sigh, “the design director just called the creative team heads to the floor to inform them that the measurements we were given for our Milan models weren’t correct. He is blaming the creative director, but she insists the model profile list came from Gabriel, himself. They have been yelling at each other ever since.”

“Mari, somehow we have been fitting our designs to last year’s slate of models, and no one is even sure if we have models booked for Milan. I mean, no new model portfolios have been added to our system since the slate for Paris fashion week.” Celia put her head down on the cutting table and continued to cry quietly. 

Marinette was just trying to absorb this information when the creative team stormed off the design floor and the design manager called for everyone’s attention. “Team, as I’m sure you overheard, we were given the wrong data for our models. With so little time between now and fashion week, we must find a way to make our designs work on the runway. I don’t have a perfect solution, but until further notice, increase your seam allowances to 1.5 cm.” And with that the design director and lead left the floor. 

The remaining stunned designers turned to busy themselves with work. Marinette wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. It was a mess to be sure, but would she take the blame when her models needed extensive alterations? She was so close to earning the title of designer when she finished this semester internship through ESMOD. She couldn’t let herself believe that her dream would be crushed by Gabriel’s apparent mistake, of all people. Marinette would just focus on her work for now.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she’d arrived at the design floor that morning when she saw Adrien hustling into the room. Attention, designers!” he called, I was able to contract a slate of models for Milan.” Applause broke out among the designers, but Adrien raised his hand to silence the group so he could warn, “these models will not be the elites we are used to. All of the usual agencies had already contracted their best models. But the good news is that we have accurate measurements being sent to our server as we speak. By tomorrow morning at the latest, expect to have profiles for your models at your stations. Thank you, everyone,” Adrien concluded as he made his way out the door, avoiding questions from nervous interns with his swift exit. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. This would be okay; it was much more work than she’d expected when she came in this morning, but she could manage.

Much later, well after Marinette realized it was growing dark, her phone buzzed, and she was instantly reminded of her plans with Adrien. Oh well, she thought, we have to reschedule again. At least he was probably still at work in his office too; he would know I didn’t just forget about him after the day we’ve had around here. She looked at the text:

_ on my way to you. pack up. we must eat!!!  _ 🍛🍷😿

Marinette just had time to clear her workspace and shove her things into her bag when she felt another buzz:

_ Come out let’s go _ ✈

As Marinette reached the elevators, Adrien was already holding the door open, peaking out to look for her. “So, what were you thinking, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean?” Marinette inquired as they rode down to the first floor. “Whatever is closest,” Adrien replied, causing her to laugh at his eagerness. “Thai is is, then.”

As she ate her  tom kha gai, Marinette could see the stress on Adrien’s face. He was making pleasant small talk with her and smiling at appropriate moments, but the smile never reached his eyes. After a few minutes, she reached across the table and put her hand over his. “What is eating at you tonight, Adrien? And, don’t say nothing or just work. I want to hear what is really bothering you.” 

Adrien tilted his head to the side and looked at her for a moment. “I might as well tell you. I’ve never been able to keep things from you,” he smiled softly. Then, just as soon as it came, the look was gone, replaced once again by the stress face. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this, considering our  _ jobs _ , but… I’m worried about my father, Mari,” he said quietly. I can’t believe Father forgot to book models for Milan, and worse that he thought last year’s models were contracted this year. And,” he swallowed thickly, “he asked to see me model the Milan designs. I didn’t understand at first; I thought he just wanted to see the male looks on an actual person. But, Mari, he thought I was modeling in Milan. He wanted to see  _ my _ looks. We got into such a huge argument, and he has been yelling so much more, and every little thing sets him off...” 

Marinette squeezed Adrien’s hand as tears began forming in his eyes, “I’m so sorry you have to live with that, Adrien. You need to get out of that mansion, and …”

“I know, Mari,” Adrien interrupted, seeing her determined face and not wanting to hear the rest of her righteous fury at the moment, “but it’s complicated and I… I can’t just leave, yet.”

She huffed but turned to him with a small smile, “Well, if you need to talk or need anything really, you know you can count on me, right?” and he smiled a real smile at her in response. “And if you want me to help you talk to your dad or to Nathalie about moving out, or his treatment of you, or this work disaster and wanting you to model again, I will be your biggest advocate. Okay?” 

Adrien nodded and thanked her for always being such a good friend. Most of the tension had left his face, so for tonight, she considered that a win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Join the Miraculous Ladybug discord!](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)


	3. Portal of Duty v. Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Bunnyx opened the next portal, she sighed in relief. Sometimes she needed to remind herself that not all of the happy futures would require changing the past. She paused for a moment to watch Adrien push Louis and Hugo on the swings at the park as Emma squealed happily zipping down the slide. She was able to smile just then and to brush off a little of the anxiety weighing her down.
> 
> “There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.”  
> ― Robert Louis Stevenson

Nathalie steeled herself with two deep breaths as she marched to the atelier the next morning. She hadn’t dared to talk with Gabriel about his being abused by his own kwami with the disaster that was yesterday at the design house. Thank goodness for Adrien, she thought, and laughed to herself. She hadn’t expected him to be able to rescue  _ Gabriel _ from international embarrassment. Maybe he had grown up more than she’d noticed. Nathalie made a point to observe him more carefully going forward.

As she came to the doors of the studio, she could hear Gabriel talking to someone. Probably on the phone, she thought. Nathalie paused for a moment to re-center herself, knowing that this conversation would be difficult at best, before knocking on the door and announcing her presence as she entered.

“Oh good, Nathalie,” Gabriel greeted her with a neutral expression and returned to face his computer, “we must find the person responsible for the snafu with the models. I generally suspect, what’s her name again… the creative director…”

“Mathilde,” Nathalie supplied.

“Yes, Mathilde. I don’t know why we promoted her to the director position, anyway. Notify her that she is terminated, effectively immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” Nathalie replied.

After a beat, she was just about to begin her carefully rehearsed introduction to her grimoire research, when Gabriel looked up from his work, “is there a reason you’re still here?”

This was it, she supposed, there wouldn’t be a better moment. “Actually, yes. I have been doing more research into the effects of the peafowl miraculous, and I have come to the conclusion that Dusuu is attacking me.”

At this Gabriel leaned back in his towering desk chair, “Go on.”

“The kwamis will assault anyone they deem to be misusing the miraculous, and the intended result of this is to render the user permanently unconscious.” 

“Mon dieu, Emilie,” he gasped.

“Yes,” Nathalie continued, “but also you and I.”

Gabriel’s head was still spinning with this new information. Would this lead to a cure for Emilie? Maybe he wouldn’t even need the black cat and ladybug miraculous to make the magic wish; Nathalie would find a way to bring her back! But, wait, he thought. She just implied that I am under attack, too. “Would you care to explain why you think I have been a victim of my own kwami?”

“With respect, sir, you seem to be more forgetful than usual lately, and…”

“Well of course I am,” Gabriel interrupted, “ I am the head of an internationally acclaimed design house, you know. It’s not exactly a stress free position. Nevertheless, I have not lost any mental acuity; I am as sharp as I have ever been.” Gabriel stared at her with an icy glare, daring her to contradict him.

“Perhaps even if you don’t have symptoms now, you might consider...:”

Gabriel stood to tower over her, exerting his authority through physical intimidation, “I am not now, nor have I ever been, a victim. You are dismissed,” he said with a contemptuous flick of his wrist as he returned to his work.

Nathalie rose slowly and made her way out of the atelier and to her own office. What am I going to do now? she thought bitterly.

_________________________

As Gabriel saw through his peripheral vision that Nathalie had left, he stood to face the portrait of Emilie. “Oh, my Emilie,” he spoke to her visage, “we will yet be together again, my darling. I will not stop until you are at your rightful place by my side.” 

He approached the painting and pressed the recessed buttons that activated his elevator to the observatory. 

As he strode into the darkened room, Gabriel called for Nooroo.

“Yes, master,” Nooroo replied.

“Is it true that if a kwami thinks their  _ master _ is misusing his miraculous, that they will attempt to render him unconscious? Think carefully, my little friend, before you respond, and tell me, did Dusuu do this to my wife?”

Nooroo looked obviously uncomfortable. “Umm, master, you know I would never lie to you, but this is not something I can speak about. Kwamis are forbidden to have this type of knowledge.” 

“So you are not denying it. Are you also planning to attack me in this manner?”

“Master, please, I beg of you, do not force me to speak of this any further.”

Gabriel turned his back with a scowl and a barely audible grumble. He paused a further moment considering his options before gliding back to the elevator platform returning him to the atelier.

____________________________

Late that afternoon, Adrien and Marinette left work together so that they could meet Alya and Nino for their monthly game night. Their friends were engaged and living together in a one bedroom apartment that felt both cozy and inviting. Just as Adrien raised his hand to knock, Nino yanked open the door and pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you, bro. You too, dudette.”

Alya called from the kitchenette, “Nino, let them in already! M come help me with the snacks, please”

Nino and Adrien made their way to the couch in the living area and sat discussing what the group should play tonight. By the time the girls brought the snacks over, they had all but decided. “We are going to have a video game tournament,” Nino began. 

“Let’s start with UMS V,” Marinette suggested with a smirk. 

“Mari, nooooo,” Nino whined. He really wanted Alya and himself to have a chance to win.”

Adrien looked at Nino with a practiced look of innocence, “Be a gentleman, let our ladies have first choice. Alya can pick next.”

Nino gave his friend a glance out of the corner of his eye and with a scowl, reluctantly agreed.

By the time the third round of games had come to an end, the predictable result was playing itself out. While Alya and Nino had won a few individual rounds at both games following UMS, Adrien and Marinette had won the majority and now had a 3 to 0 lead over their friends in their tournament.

“Best, 5 out of 7,” Nino asked hopefully?

Alya groaned, “let’s just admit defeat already.”

The group of four put away the video consoles and settled back in their seats, finishing off the snacks and chatting comfortably. No one really wanted to say goodnight, yet. Their get-togethers were becoming less frequent, and all knew that trend would continue as life pulled them in separate directions. 

As the time approached when Adrien and Marinette would need to leave, Alya squeezed Marinette tightly into a fierce hug.

We really should do this more often,” Alya said, and Adrien agreed quickly, “I wish we could do it again Wednesday evening.” A grimace had replaced the smile on Adrien’s face as he leaned back against the couch and dragged his hands down his face. 

“What’s with him?” Alya whispered to Marinette. 

“He has to attend a charity social with Lila,” she hissed back.

“I wish Father would just drop this whole publicity relationship thing he’s been insistent on,” Adrien groaned. “Lila was so terrible when she was just my co-model; she’s so much worse on a ‘date. But enough about  _ that  _ particular unpleasant circumstance, I’ve had so much fun tonight, I don’t want to dwell on anything that would upset our lovely evening together. And, alas, Mari, didn’t you say you had to be home by 10 tonight.” 

Marinette nodded, and she and Adrien bid their goodbyes. As the two walked back to Adrien’s car, he looked at her tenderly. “Thank you for tonight,” he said quietly, “I needed a break from everything.”

“I know,” Marinette replied as she took his hand and gently squeezed, “that’s what friends are for.”

_______________________

As midnight approached at the mansion, Gabriel summoned Nathalie. “I spoke with Nooroo about your suspicions,” he reported with a gravelly voice. “He didn’t deny it.”

There was silence for perhaps a moment too long when Gabriel looked up at her with a pained expression, “So what are you planning to do about it?”

Nathalie struggled to keep her face in its typical neutral aspect. “I suggest we go to Tibet and meet with the monks at the temple that was restored by the defeat of Feast. If anyone knows how to reverse the actions of the kwamis, it will be them.”

Gabriel stared into Nathalie’s eyes with a steely resolve, “Book a flight,” he said and returned to his computer as if the conversation had never happened.


	4. Portal of Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunnyx closed the portal into which she had been happily gazing. Enough distraction. Focus on the threat. She closed her eyes and tried to sense the shifting futures. Then, looking at her watch, she realized it would be time soon. Maybe someone will make a different decision this time. After all, time is a fragile thing...
> 
> “Everyone, at some time or another, sits down to a banquet of consequences. ”  
> ― Robert Louis Stevenson

Aboard their private flight from Paris to Shiquanhe, Tibet, Gabriel paced the center aisle, hands clenched behind his back, brows furrowed, and muttering to himself. After hours of watching the man wear out the industrial carpeting, Nathalie had enough. “Gabriel,” Nathalie called trying to break him out of the anxious state he had worked himself into. “We have strategized and planned as much as we possibly can at this point. You need to rest now. Come, sit and let me work the tension out of your shoulders.”

Gabriel sighed in resignation. He walked over and took his seat next to Nathalie. As she began to apply pressure to the knots in his muscles, Gabriel could feel his body begin to relax. Maybe I should just close my eyes for a few minutes, he thought, before he was leaning against her snoring quietly.

When Nathalie woke him, their plane was descending en route to Ngari Gunsa Airport. She had already changed into warmer clothes for their trek up Mount Kailash to the temple. They still had a day-long bus ride to Darchen ahead of them before they could climb the mountain on foot, but there wouldn’t be time to change later. 

“Gabriel,” she almost whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder, “you should freshen up and change before our flight arrives.” But he was having a difficult time rousing himself from sleep. Nathalie looked upon him with a sad smile and devotion. “Come on, let’s get you ready,” she tugged his arm until he stood unevenly by her side. She had already laid out his new warmer attire in the area aft of the lavatory, and Nathalie gently guided him there. As Gabriel saw the clothes, it shook him out of the indistinct fog between sleep and wakefulness, and he wrested his arm away from Nathalie abruptly with a curt, “thank you, that will be all.”

_____________________________

Gabriel had been mostly quiet since the plane had landed. There wasn’t much to say at this point, at least to each other, he thought. They were committed to the plan of action, and now he needed only to wait until the bus conveyed them to the base of the mountain. As he settled into his bus seat for the ride to Darchen, Gabriel put on his noise cancelling headphones and sleep mask knowing Nathalie would alert him should the need arise. I really don’t pay her enough, he thought, as he relaxed in her presence and reclined in his first class accommodation.

On the adjacent seat, Nathalie began to agonize over her suggestion to show up unannounced at the temple in the meager hopes that the monks would listen to strangers over the kwamis they revere. Not to mention that this mountain she and Gabriel were planning to climb was forbidden to all but the monks. Additionally, Mount Kailash was considered one of the most holy sites on Earth, sacred ground for at least four different groups of faithful adherents. People came from all parts of the world just to circumambulate. How would they escape being seen as they hiked into the off-limits and unknown? she considered. Would they be cursed by the gods said to reside here? 

Nathalie turned her focus to Gabriel, the man she loved with all of her soul. I can do this for him, she thought. He needs me. If I am cursed for helping this man, then so be it. She grimaced as a mirthless laugh escaped her lips, it's not as if I’m not already under attack by one god.

____________________________

When the bus arrived at their destination it was still dark, but the sun would soon begin to rise. The two would need to be well on their trek up the mountain before the light could give their intention away to the many pilgrims who would begin their journey at sunrise. Nathalie and Gabriel strode with quick steps away from the terminal and onto the well used path that lay before them. Neither spoke as they made their way out of any line of sight from the city, but upon reaching a secluded and empty portion of the pathway, Gabriel turned to begin their ascent. After a few long strides, he paused and looked back feeling Nathalie’s absence at his side. “Nathalie?” Gabriel extended his hand to her, helping to steady her first steps in their climb. She looked up at him, squeezing his hand. “We can do this, together.”

____________________________

As they finally approached the temple, Gabriel took a deep, steadying breath. This could be the end, he thought. The end to this whole nightmare with Emilie. A new start with the woman he loved. If only he could convince monks to help Emilie, he would give anything in return. 

Gabriel and Natalie strode side by side up the long brick passage that led to the temple’s entrance. At the gate, they were met by a monk. “M. Agreste, Mlle Sancoeur, how can we serve you?” the Monk inquired. Taken aback, Gabriel realized they had been expected. This is not how they had planned for this meeting to begin. 

Temporarily stunned by his shifting perspective as this new information was assimilated, Nathalie cleared her throat and replied. “We seek an audience with whichever monk has the most experience with attacks by kwamis on their chosen.” Nathalie was internally terrified that Gabriel would blow up at her for deviating from their plan, but… well… he was just staring catatonically into the temple, and the monk who greeted them had already blown up their plan, at least metaphorically. She would deal with the consequences later, Nathalie thought. She needed to shake Gabriel out of his fugue and see their goal through to its end. She would be single-minded in service to him, she rededicated herself. 

Silently, the monk opened the gate, gestured to another, and bowed to the pair bidding them follow the second monk into the temple itself. 

Nathalie bowed in return and slipped her arm around Gabriel’s, urging him to continue moving forward at her side. After a few steps, he seemed to regain his bearings, at least partially, but he did not remove her arm from his. Instead, he reached over with this other hand and squeezed the one that Nathalie had wrapped around his bicep in a silent gesture of thanks. She was relieved and strengthened by his touch. Together they were unstoppable, she thought.

After making their way through several dimly lit corridors, the monk who was leading them stopped in front of a wooden door and knocked before opening it. Nathalie and Gabriel exchanged a glance, and followed the monk through the entry into a room resembling a library.

“Wait here,” was all the monk said before he had disappeared back through the maze of temple hallways.

When they were alone, Nathalie turned to Gabriel and seeking confirmation of her racing thoughts, pointed to her chest in the same location where he wore the butterfly miraculous. “Do you think they know  _ us _ , too?”

“Certainly,” he replied one eyebrow raised, “the question remains whether or not they need to _meet_ _us_ , too. We should remain silent for now and hope that they will help Emilie when they hear our plea. If not, they may come to rue this day.”

_____________________________

After about an hour, a deeply wrinkled monk with a long white beard shuffled into the room with Gabriel and Nathalie. They knew not to underestimate the man, and both were trying to conceal the fact that they were suddenly on guard. 

“Hello,” he greeted in Mandarin.

They stood and Gabriel returned his greeting. “I assume you are the expert in kwami attacks?” 

The older man laughed, “no, that I would not say. However, I understand your wife, Mme Agreste, lies unconscious due to her misuse of the peafowl miraculous. Yes?”

Gabriel scowled, his anger rising just beneath the surface. Nathalie could feel the tension radiating off of him at the mention of Emilie and was attempting to intervene before the meeting escalated when Gabriel retorted, “that  _ I _ would not say.”

“Then it seems we are at an impasse, would you not agree?”

At this, she could not help but to attempt to come between the two men staring at each other. “Sir,” she addressed the monk, “let us explain, and perhaps you too will see that Duusu made a grievous error.”

Without breaking eye contact with Gabriel, the monk simply stated, “gods do not make mistakes.”

Nathalie was growing increasingly desperate. Why wasn’t Gabriel explaining why Emilie became La Paonne? She turned to look back at him with eyes pleading for him to use this opportunity wisely.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Gabriel’s anger broke into sobs. “She just wanted to have a baby,” he wailed. “All she wanted was to become a mother, and I couldn’t give that to her.” 

Seeing his obvious distress, Nathalie moved protectively toward Gabriel, but the monk’s fierce glare had softened. “Sit, please,” he offered, “I will bring some tea. Perhaps you will feel better if I listen to your story.” 

Gabriel sat with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands as he continued to cry tears of sorrow and regret. Nathalie stood behind him and gently rubbed her hand in calming circles across his upper back. 

She hadn’t expected this. This wasn’t the story Gabriel told her. Could this really be true? she thought. What about Adrien? This was too much; she felt nauseous and she’d be glad when the monk returned with the tea as well. 

___________________________

Over the tea, Gabriel explained how Emilie had always wanted to have a baby, but even after being married for several years, a pregnancy never emerged. So, they had tearfully gone to her twin sister Amélie to ask her to consider surrogacy. She’d agreed, but when Amélie found that she was expecting twins herself, she decided to keep one of the babies. The son they had through Amélie’s surrogacy was Adrien, and this was enough to satisfy Emilie’s longing for a time. However the urge to carry a baby within herself and to have the second child, that she felt cheated of, never really went away. So, after research, Gabriel thought he’d found a solution in the peafowl miraculous. 

The two had traveled here before the temple was restored and found the butterfly and peafowl miraculous. That had been one of the happiest moments of her life. They believed that they could use the power of the peafowl to introduce a sentient vessel into her body that combined with one of her eggs and her wishes could be a new baby for them to raise, one that she could carry and give birth to. She became obsessed with fulfilling this desire. Even to the point of extreme illness and eventual unconsciousness, Gabriel could not dissuade her from this goal.

After Gabriel finished, the room was again silent. Nathalie could feel the hot tears roll down her cheeks, but she dared not make a sound. The desperation in his voice had been so raw and powerful, and the thickness of the emotion still filled the room. 

The monk sat across from him, eyes closed, as he delivered his response, “I understand your desire to awaken your wife and the pain that both of your choices have caused. Nonetheless, I cannot aid you in this quest, and I beseech you to reflect upon the wisdom of the kwamis in this and all situations.” The monk silently rose and left Nathalie and Gabriel alone.

“No, wait,” she called after him, but Gabriel stopped her. Resigned, he looked up at Nathalie, “Let’s go home.” 

“We can’t just go home! Aren’t you going to fight for Emilie? For Adrien? Shouldn’t we transform and force them to help us?!

“Enough,” he breathed as he stood and began walking to the door. 

_____________________________

Their return to Paris was oddly quiet, even for the two of them. There were no words left to say from Gabriel’s perspective, and Nathalie felt there were no adequate means to express her abject sense of failure and anguish mixed with betrayal. As the limo approached the mansion, Gabriel broke the silence. Without making eye contact, he directed, “have Adrien meet me in the atelier promptly at six.” Then he strode off to his bedchamber leaving her reflexive, “yes, sir,” to the night wind.

**Author's Note:**

> This story will (probably) update at least twice a week.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and if you are looking for a friendly, safe space to explore the Miraculous universe with others [join us today!](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)


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